sepokal for ID and comments

[Gustav]

Dear All,

I would highly appreciate any technical and aesthetical comments on this Keris.

It seems to be all original (even buntut) Bugis Sepokal, with a see ivory (I think) hilt.

The length of the blade: 33,2 cm (13,07 inches)
The width of the gonjo: 8,2 cm (3,23 inches)

An interesting detail is the older damage on one side of batang, where it possibly should appear, when the sarung is held in the left hand for parrying(?). Has anybody see something resembling?

Is there a region (Bugis) which preferes Pamor Uler Lulut?

Kind regards,
Gustav

[Gustav]

Here the pics

[Gustav]

more pics

[Sajen]

Hello Gustav,

nice keris with a beautiful handle. The demage look to my eyes like rat bite this, I have seen this by old shields and spears. This happen when people who have eaten something with their hands touch the wood and the wood get the smell and taste from meat.

sajen

[Gustav]

Hello Sajen,

thanks for the less romantical version, most probably you are wright.

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Please excuse me for the chaotical order of pictures! (And also for some to much.)

[Sajen]

not to much pictures!

[Gustav]

Please, do eat only after touching your keris!

[BluErf]

I second the mouse theory. At any rate, in some Malay areas, when they see such damage, esp fresh damage, they won't say that the mouse did it. Rather, they'd say "Cik Siti ada keraja", literally, "Miss Siti did some work". Miss Siti is of course not a real person, but in reference to the mouse. The belief was that if you said the mouse did some work, they'd come back again to do more work.

Regarding the keris, to me, I'd classify this as a Sulawesi keris. Nice blade indeed, and even nicer hilt! Very voluptuous. The sheath is great too; I like the grain on the wood.

I dont' think there is any specific Bugis areas that prefers a particular pamor, though I'd say pamor uler lurut is one of the common uncommon pamor (ok, don't know if I make sense ). That means the vast majority of Bugis kerises have the kulit semangka pamor, usually combined with ujung gunung. The rest would have the more uncommon pamor such as raja abala raja, uler lurut, sader saleh, lintah kemukus, and others. So these are the uncommon pamor, and uler lurut is the more common ones amongst this category of uncommon pamors, based on my own personal observation, of course.

[Gustav]

Thank you very much for the comments, BluErf.

So Keris Bugis Sepokal Batang Cik Siti

Is this sampir typically Sulawesi?
I also have seen many Keris Bugis with Uler Lurut, and most of them in the last time are named Keris Sumbawa (what ever it means, http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10665),
thats, why I asked.

[PenangsangII]

very nice and serviceable sepukal.....

If the hilt and pendokok are not original to the blade, i am more inclined towards Palembang provenance.....

this one looks almost similar to mine... especially the "curve profile', flat ganja, lower gandik and almost flat ganja base
http://harizant.multiply.com/photos/...Bugis_Sepukal_

have you checked whether there's a needle in the hilt?

[Gustav]

Penangsang, thank you very much.

Your blade is very similar indeed.

No, there wasn't a needle.
The cross section of the blade is somewhere in the middle between hexagonal and oval (so I also thought of a non Sulawesi provenience), but it is also worn up.
I don't know if pendokok and handle are replacements, but it was also my question to the seller. My idee was, that a person, who is able to pay for such hilt would chose a more elaborate pendokok.

[BluErf]

I guess most sepokal blades look alike. I'm not sure if there is such thing as a regional standard for such blades, though if there is, it may be quite hard to define. A lot of such identification goes by "feel", which leaves a lot of room for inaccuracies.

The big bulge in the batang has been associated with Sulawesi. It seems that the Straits Bugis (from both Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia) do have such features. Combined with the pendoko and hilt, which are undoubtedly Sulawesi, I'd be inclined to say the whole piece is most likely Sulawesi.

Sumbawa is a region close to Bali, inhabited by Bugis as well. I myself is still trying to figure out what makes a Sumbawa keris.

[sipakatuo]

Nice sapukala Gustav.

[Gustav]

Thank you, Sipakatuo.